Flatworm Problem

ReefsNRocks · Jan 15, 2012

Hello all!

I think I have a problem developing in the form flatworms, appears to bePlanaria. I don't want to use flatworm exit so I'm looking for natural predatorsthat are reef safe. Seems I saw a forum here talking about a golden wrasse orsomething that eats them?? Have also heard of a certain type of nudebranc (sp)that eats nothing bu these worms. Suggestions/experiences welcome! Thank you.

NickH · Jan 15, 2012

How large is your aquarium? I have seen sixline wrasse's along with melanarus and yellow coris wrasses work. Best precautionary advice i can give is to dip all the corals you purchase.

EchoPapaGolf · Jan 15, 2012

Most reef safe wrasses will devour flatworms. The two most common, Sixlines and Yellow Coris wrasses are readily available at most saltwater fish stores. You should be able to pick one up for under $20. IMO nature is always better than a medication or chemical.....plus you get to see the fish eat those little suckers.

boxer · Jan 15, 2012

NickH said:
How large is your aquarium? I have seen sixline wrasse's along with melanarus and yellow coris wrasses work. Best precautionary advice i can give is to dip all the corals you purchase.

+1 also fresh water dip small rock or coral in your tank that you can get to and move easily that have concentrations of flat worms. wait until about the middle of your light cycle and after. This is when the worms are out full force since they use light as a food source.

DaveA · Jan 16, 2012

If you have the red planaria, they are little or no danger to your system. They will eventually go away on their own. However, a six-line wrasse and sucking them out of your tank with an airline hose will help. There is no need to use FWE, and in fact, it did not even kill them for me. You only need to use Flat Worm Exit if you have AEFW (Acropora Eating Flat Worms) - which, I believe, are not reddish brown. You should dip new corals before you add them to your tank, but that isn't really necessary now to get rid of the planaria I know it's difficult to sit and watch all the flat worms. I had them, and it was difficult for me too, but they will go away on their own.

Dre59 · Jan 16, 2012

NickH said:
Best precautionary advice i can give is to dip all the corals you purchase.

+1 You will be better off just treating the tank to make sure they are gone. I know that doing chemicals is always a hard thing to do on your system. But I rather sleep at night knowing they are gone IMO. One of these should have them in check after treatment sixline, melanarus and yellow coris wrasses.
Wish you the best!!

Devonjevon · Jan 16, 2012

Flatworm Rx didn't do anything to them. I used 3times the dose. Flatworm exit killed all on contact.

Aquaph8 · Jan 16, 2012

If you have plans for fairy/flasher wrasses skip the six line. Yellow coris, melanarus and even Radiants work well too. Six lines are mean little suckers.

ReefsNRocks · Jan 16, 2012

Thank you all for your input! My tank is 75 gallon with a 40 gal sump and I suspect there are many more of those little buggers hiding in rocks and sand that I cannot see. I'm going to try the yellow Choris route and see what happens. Sounds like the issue may resolve itself with time since I don't have any Acro in my tank and suspect they are just a nuisance. Thanks again everyone!

boehm742 · Jan 16, 2012

Def agree about the sixline, ive never been a fan of the ones ive seen. Melanarus and Yellow coris get my vote

cparka23 · Jan 17, 2012

DaveA said:
If you have the red planaria, they are little or no danger to your system. They will eventually go away on their own. However, a six-line wrasse and sucking them out of your tank with an airline hose will help. There is no need to use FWE, and in fact, it did not even kill them for me. You only need to use Flat Worm Exit if you have AEFW (Acropora Eating Flat Worms) - which, I believe, are not reddish brown. You should dip new corals before you add them to your tank, but that isn't really necessary now to get rid of the planaria I know it's difficult to sit and watch all the flat worms. I had them, and it was difficult for me too, but they will go away on their own.

I wouldn't dismiss them so easily. They are pretty hardy little buggers and can flourish off of pods and 'sunbathing' if nothing in the system keeps them in check. I speak from experience and have had them multiply to plague proportions where they started smothering corals in an LPS-softy nano (too small for a wrasse). Your flatworms may have gone away on their own, but it's a bit of a stretch to say that it'll happen that way for everybody.

As for FWE, it doesn't work as well on certain types of red planaria. This Advanced Aquarist article details the efficacy of different products on red planaria, which is actually comprised of animals of different genera. It outright doesn't work for AEFW. See post #2 here ( https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/ge...1-acropora-acro-eating-flatworms-my-long.html ).

ReefsNRocks said:
Sounds like the issue may resolve itself with time since I don't have any Acro in my tank[...]

For some reason, red planaria and AEFW keep getting confused for one another. Red planaria have nothing to do with keeping acropora corals. That's AEFW.

The Advanced Aquarist article that I linked above has a photo of the blue velvet nudibranch, which as you mentioned eats red planaria. Always helps to have a name and photo if you're considering one. :)